ON FARM NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY z Many ways to make connections Australia is on the Understanding the purpose Finding the right help cusp of a digital MLA has determined there are three Sean said the program had found agriculture revolution, ways in which producers need to solutions tended to come in one of but inadequate connect their businesses digitally two forms. telecommunication connectivity (see Figure 1 opposite): • internet to homestead/office “Firstly, extending any locally available is hampering many producers’ • internet to paddocks connectivity services from National attempts to get on board. Broadband Network service providers to Feedback takes a look at how • homestead/office to paddocks. homesteads,” he said. MLA’s Connectivity Program is “When thinking about “At times, this requires multiple working with industry to meet connectivity, producers microwave repeater stations and/ the challenge. or digital high frequency solutions. and solution providers Companies such as MarchIT, One year on from the launch of MLA’sneed to ask ‘what’s Origo.farm, Southern West Wireless, Connectivity Program, it’s powering Wi-Sky, Field Solutions, Community ahead in bringing together producersthe purpose of the Telecommunications Group and RadLink and agricultural technology providers toconnectivity?’” Sean said. have been delivering these services. deliver tailored, on-farm solutions. “Secondly, deploying connectivity MLA General Manager – MDC, “The answer may well dictate the across a farm where a producer Research, Development and Innovation,solution required. For example, is thewishes to install sensors that do not Sean Starling, said MLA had been homestead being connected to the communicate directly to a satellite. working with both parties to developinternet for business purposes and are and demonstrate cost-effective, those requirements high-volume data“The number of direct-to-satellite reliable solutions. (e.g. large files) or small files but timecommunication sensors are increasing, critical (e.g. banking systems)? Or isalbeit that they are limited compared The Connectivity Program is a subset the connection more about the socialto the range of other currently of MLA’s Digital Value Chain Strategy, and education side of the farm, such asavailable sensors that communicate which also delivers programs covering schooling and internet content, whichthrough networks such as LoRaWAN, the Internet of Things (IoT), Supporting requires large volumes but can surviveSigFox and Taggle (all known as Software and Autonomous Systems. with high latency and drop-outs?” LWAN networks). 20